Attachment for gin-feeders.



w. w. MILAM. ATTACHMENT FOR GIN FEEDERS.

APiLICA T-ION FILED. SEPT; 8. 1915.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

W. W. MILAM.

ATTAQHMENT FOR GIN FEEDERS. APPLICATION. EILED sums. 1915.

Patented Man-12, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IHIIIIIIHIIHIII WMaoow W. W. MILAM. ATTACHMENT FOR GlNFEEDERS.

APPLICATION mm SEPT. 8. ms.

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ammo a Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

W. W. MILAM.

Patented Mar. 12,'l91&

4 SHEETS-SHEET Q 62 67 6: r 4 i r 63 3W %%Mz/am.

WILLIAM W. MILAM, 0F ALEX, OKLAHOMA.

ATTACHMENT FOR GIN-FEEDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

Application filed September 8, 1915. Serial No. 49,546.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM WV. MILAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Alex, in the county of Grady and State of Oklahoma, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Gin- Feeders, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cotton gin feeders, and it has for its objectto produce an attachment of simple and improved construction whereby thefeed may be interrupted at predetermined intervals and at the same timethe front breast of the gin casing be thrown open for the discharge ofbolls and the like. I

In ginning boll cotton or snapped cotton it is found that the bolls andsquares will quickly accumulate to such an extent as to interfere withthe proper action of the gin saws. This makes it desirable to interruptthe feeding of cotton to the gin at certain intervals for short periodsto enable the saws to dispose of the material in the breast of the ginbefore material is fed. At the same time it is desirable to open thefront breast of the gin casing for the discharge of the accumulation ofbolls and squares. The invention has for its object to produce a simpleand improved mechanism whereby the feed will be interrupted and thefront breast of the gin casing be thrown open at predeterminedintervals.

Various conditions of the crop or material that is being operated uponrender it desirable to interrupt the feeding and to open the frontbreast of the gin casing at more or less frequent intervals. A furtherobject of the invention, therefore, is to produce a simple and improvedmechanism whereby the aforesaid operations may be performed at statedintervals of various duration.

A further object of the invention is to produce simple and improvedmechanism whereby the feed may be interrupted just prior to the openingof the gin casing for the discharge of accumulated material.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel arrangement and combination of partswhich will be hereinafter'fully described and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitationis necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited,but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of theclaims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,-

Figure 1 is an end elevation partly in section of a gin feeder ofconventional construction to which the invention has been applied,showing also a portion of the gin casing.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view taken on the line 33 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view taken on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 are side elevations of the cam element showing differentadjustments of the cam units.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing two cam units disassembled andindicating the pin and the sockets whereby the units may be assembledatdiiferent adjustments.

Fig. 8 is a detail view in side elevation of one of the supports of thefeeder casing.

. Fig. 9 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 10 is a sectional end elevation illustrating a modification.

Fig. 11 is a sectional detail view taken on the line 11-11 in Fig. 10.Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by likecharacters of reference. The invention has been shown applied to afeeder of conventional construction, the same including the feedercasing A having the discharge chute B, said casing being mounted on asupporting frame which includes legs-or uprights C, a platform D andfront and rear supporting members E,.F, whereby the feeder casing isspaced above the platform. A portion of the gin casing is shown at G, Hrepresenting the front breast which is pivoted or hingedly supported atI. J, J designate the driven shafts of the feeder. said shafts beingprovided with intermeshing gear wheels K.

Mounted securely on the side of the feeder casing is a bracket 15 suporting a shaft or journal 16 which is preferably detachable. but it issecured by means of a set screw 17. Mounted for rotation on the shaft 16is a pinion 18 that meshes with one of the gear wheels K, said pinionhaving a clutch member 19 mating with a clutch member 20 on a hub 21which is also mounted for rotation on the shaft or journal 16. The hub21, together with other parts which will presently be described,constitutes what Iterm a cam element. Said cam element ineludes aplurality of units a, b, 0 each consisting of a disk having a cam-shapedprojection d, said projection including a low portion 22 and a highportion 23. It will be understood that the disks or cam units are all ofidentical size and shape, and, as it will be seen, the said diskstogether with their cam extensions are provided'with V-shaped edges 24:.The units a, b, c are provided with spacing collars 25 and, under theconstruction shown, one unit, a, is fixedly secured on the hub 21, whilethe units 6, a are slidable on the hub, said units being forced in thedirection of the stationary unit by the action of the coiled spring 26which is interposed between the unit 0 and a set collar27. The units 6,c are each provided with alaterally extending pin 28, each of said pinsbeing adapted to engage any one of a plurality of sockets 29 formed inthe set collars of the units a, Z), said sockets being formed inconcentric series and at proper intervals to enable the desiredadjustment of the parts to be eifected. Some of these sockets are soarranged as to enable the cam units to be connected with the camelements 03 of the several units disposed in longitudinal alinement, asseen in Fig. 1. By retracting the units Z), 0 against the tension of thespring 26 the several units may be disconnected to permit one of theunits to be rotated about the axis of the shaft 16 until the cam memberd of such unit will be diametrically opposite the cam members of theremaining units, after which, by releasing the units, the spring 26 willrestore them to assembled and interlocked position. Cam members at ofthe cam element will thus be positioned at diametrically opposite sidesof the cam element. Again, the units 6, a may be relatively so adjustedwith respect to the unit a that cam members d of the three units will bepositioned at intervals of 120 degrees. 7 By increasing the number ofunits adjustment may be effected whereby cam members (Z will bepositioned at intervals of 90 degrees, or less, according to thefrequency with which it is desired to actuate the tracker engaging thecam element, as will be now described.

Fulcrumed on a journal 30 carried by the bracket 15 is a lever 31 whichconstitutes the tracker, said lever carrying at one end thereof alaterally extending pin '32 on which a tracker spool 33 is slidablymounted, said spool being provided with a plurality of V-shaped grooves34:, each of which is engaged by one of the cam units a, b, c. It willbe readily seen that when the cam element isrotated, the tracker will berocked or actuated one or more times during each rotation, according tothe disposition of the units, as previously described. At any adjustmentof said units it is intended that the intervals between the actuation ofthe tracker shall be of equal duration, assuming that the cam element isrotated at constant speed.

A shipping lever 35 is provided whereby the hub 21 carrying the camunits and the clutch element 20 may be thrown out of engagement with theclutch element 19 against the tension of the spring 26 when it shall bedesired to interrupt the operation of the cam element and the tracker.When the hub carrying the cam units is thus retracted it is notnecessary to disengage'the units from the tracker spool, because thelatter will be free to slide along the pin 32 on which it is supported.It may be stated that the tracker spool is simply in the nature of-ananti-friction element which may be dispensed with when desired, but theconstruction of which, as

well as the tracker lever, is susceptible of many modifications withoutchanging the operation of the device.

The tracker lever 31 is connected with one end of a slide 36 which isguided through a keeper 37 on the feeder casing. Pivotally connectedwith the slide 36 is one end of an angular arm 38,. the other end ofwhich has an inclined tongue 53 engaging an anti-friction member 54: ona hinged closure 39 associated with the discharge chute B of the feeder.One of the supporting members F is provided with a slot 40 for thepassage of the'arm 38, and adjacent to said slot'is formed an ear 41havingan arcuate slot. 12. Pivoted on the support F is an angularguide413 having a slot 4 1 through which the .arm 38 is guided, saidangular guide beingadjustably connected with'the ear 41 by a bolt orfastening member 45 extending through the arcuate slot 42. By adjustmentof the angular guide 43 the arm 38 and the obstructing member 39' may beadjusted so that by said obstructingmember the area of the dischargeopening of the chute B may be varied. By the slide 36 the arm 38 may beactuated to move the obstructing member 39 to an obstructing positionwhich will prevent the passage of material over the chute B.

Pivotally supported by the supporting member F is'a depending arm orlink 46 having a pin or lug 47 that engages a longitudinal slot 48 inthe slide 36. The hingedly supported breast H of the gin casing isprovided witha notch 49 receiving one end of a push rod 50, the otherend of which is pivotally connected at 51 with the lower end of the link46, said push rod being guided througha suitable keeper or supportingmember 52. r

When the machine is in operation the-cam element receives rotary motionthrough the "medium of the clutch members 19, 20 and the pinion 18, saidmotion being capable of being interrupted by means of the shipping lever35. By proper previous adjustment of the cam units, the cam members 61may be so disposed that the tracker will be actuated one or more timesduring each rotation of the cam element. When the tracker is actuated itwill first ascend the low portion 22 of the cam member or members cl,thereby projecting the slide 36 in a rearward direction, causing the arm38 to actuate the closure 39, moving the latter to an obstructingposition. The tracker will now ascend the high portion 23 of the cammember or members cl, thereby further projecting the slide 36 withtheresult of projecting the arm 38 beneath the anti-friction member 54 andcausing the forward end wall of the slot 48 to engage the pin or lug 47of the link 46, thereby rocking the latter and causing it to actuate thesliding rod 50, whereby the breast H of the gin casing will be swungopen, permitting the accumulation of bolls and other waste material toescape, the same dropping on the floor or on a conveyer or other meansprovided for the reception thereof, but not shown in the drawing. Whenthe cam member or members 01 pass out of engagement with the tracker,the weight of the breast H and the obstructing member 29 willgravitationally restore the tracker and allied parts to initialposition, although obviously a spring or other well known means may beused to assist in accomplishing this result.

It will be seen that by the construction as previously described, theclosure 39 whereby the flow of material over the chute B to the gincasing may be interrupted is hinged to the bottom of such chute and thatby the actuating means provided it may be raised in the path of thematerial. In Figs. 10 and 11 there has been illustrated a modified con'struction under which the closure, here designated by 39', is carried byarms 60 that extend from a rock shaft 61 supported in bearings 62beneath the chute, said rock shaft having a crank 63. Springs 64:, asbest seen in Fig. 11, are arranged to actuate the rock shaft to move thearms carrying the closure upwardly from the bottom of the chute, therebynormally supporting the closure out of the path of material passing overthe chute, it being obvious that by pressure exerted on the crank 63 inthe direction of the arrow (1, see Fig. 10, the rock shaft may berotated against the tension of the springs 64, thereby moving theclosure in the direction of the botmm of the chute where it willinterrupt the flow of material. For the purpose of engaging the crank toactuate the rock shaft the link L6, which is actuated by the slide inthe same manner as hereinbefore described, is provided with a sleeve orsocket 65 in which a rod 66 having a terminal curved tongue 67 isadjustably secured by means of a set screw 68. It will be seen that whenthe link 4L6 is actuated by the slide which is in turn actuated thetracker .lever when the latter is in engagement with the low cam of thecam element, the rod 66 having the tongue 67 will engage the crank 63,thereby turning the rock shaft against the tension of the springs 6% andlowering the closure member. The curvature of the tongue, however, issuch that when the movements of the slide 36 and the link 46 arecontinued after the lowering of the closure member, the said tongue willsimply wipe the crank 68 without further actuating the rockisha-ft 61,thereby permitting the movement of the link 46 to be continued for thepurpose'of actuating the push rod 50, whereby the breast of the gin isopened.

It is to be understood that the arrangement of the closure whereby theflow of material is interrupted and the construction and arrangement ofthe mechanical parts whereby the closure is actuated may be furthermodified without in any sense departing from the spirit of the presentinvention as long as the purpose, which is to interrupt the flow ofmaterial at the proper time and for a proper period, is accomplished.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided means wherebythe feed of material to the gin may be interrupted and the breast of thegin casing thrown open at suitable predetermined intervals, saidintervals being capable of being regulated according to the nature ofthe material that is being operated upon in such a manner as to producethe most satisfactory results.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. In a device of the class described, a gin feeder having a dischargechute pro vided with a movably supported obstructing member, a gincasing having a movably supported breast, in combination with means foractuating said breast and obstructing member, said means including atracker and a cam element engaged thereby, said cam element including aplurality of cams, and means whereby said cams may be adjusted about acommon axis of rotation to actuate the tracker at stated intervals ofpredetermined duration.

2. In a device of the class described, a gin feeder having a dischargechute provided with a movably supported obstructing member, a gin casinghaving a hingedly supported breast member, a pivotally supported trackerlever, cam means for actuating said lever at predetermined intervals,and means for transmitting motion between the tracker lever, theobstructing member and the breast member of the gin, whereby saidobstructing member and breast member will be operated When the lever isactuated.

3. In a device of the class described, a in feeder having a dischargechute provided with a movably supported obstructing member, a gin casinghaving a hingedly supportedv breast member, a. pivot-ally supportedtracker lever, cam means for actuating said lever atpredeterminedintervals, said cam means embodying a low cam and a highcam, whereby two movements in one direction will be successivelyimparted to the tracker lever, means for transmitting mo tion from thetracker lever to the obstructing member to actuate the latter during thefirst step or movement of the tracker lever,

' and means for transmitting motion from the tracker lever to the breastmember of the gin to actuate said breast member during 2 the second stepor movement of the tracker lever under the influence of the cam. V

4. Ina huller cotton gin having, a hinged breast door and a feed chuteprovided with a valve, means for intermittently opening the breast door,and means for opening the chute valve, the two opening means beingsotimed that when the breast door is open the chute valve is closed andwhen the chute valve is open the breast door is closed.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM W. MILAM. Witnesses R. A. MURRY, E. W. WAssoN.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

